


The Farmer Fix

by cinder_valley



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21963727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinder_valley/pseuds/cinder_valley
Summary: "She didn’t know why he was so against her – she had asked Marnie if she had done something wrong, but she had assured her that she had nothing to apologise for. Shane was just…Grumpy. That was the word she had used. But Aurelia couldn’t help but think there was a little bit more. Another piece to it. And whatever his aversion to her, she was sure she could make it right. After all, everyone in Pelican Town had been at least a little sceptical of her after she’d moved in, and she’d won them over eventually. She could straighten this out, too."Or, the farmer and Shane get off to a rough start, and she's determined to fix it.
Relationships: Shane & Player (Stardew Valley), Shane (Stardew Valley)/Original Character(s), Shane (Stardew Valley)/Original Female Character(s), Shane/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Shane/Player (Stardew Valley)
Kudos: 16





	The Farmer Fix

Charlie was missing.

Shane had woken up late to start with, barely a minute before his shift was due to start at Jojamart. He’d love to say his body kicked into high gear, but it didn’t. Instead, he watched from his pillow as the seconds ticked over to 9am exactly, and then 9:01, and 9:02. And then he panicked. Sluggishly.

He’d slept in his boxers and work shirt anyway, so once he’d pulled on a crumpled pair of jeans, all he needed was the jacket. Scooping it up off the floor, his face crinkled at the feeling of damp material between his fingers thanks to yesterday’s rain. The answer to breakfast sat on a plate on the floor – the pizza crust of his midnight dinner last night. God, this was a miserable existence. And – _shit_ – the chickens needed feeding before he left.

As he poured grain into the shallow troughs, he wondered if he could trick Morris into thinking he’d been there on time if he slipped in behind a customer – his boss would be far too caught up in trying to flog them a Joja membership. Except – no, that would never work. The smug bastard was probably stood by the front doors of the store right now, rubbing his hands together in delight in having another excuse to write Shane up. Not that he ever needed an excuse.

And now, at ten minutes past nine, he was stood with only one arm through his damp jacket, barefoot, cold pizza crust shoved in his mouth, and Charlie was nowhere to be seen.

The trough was overwhelmed with feathery blue bodies, but his favourite chicken’s white plumage was nowhere to be seen. He chucked what was left of the pizza crust into the trough and shoved his other arm into the jacket, not caring that it made him even later for work as he hunted round the coop. And then, Marnie’s voice made him freeze:

“Oh, I’ve no doubt this little one will _love_ his new life with you, Miss Aurelia.”

 _God_ , of course that farmer was here. Her persistence was so irritating. Did she wait outside the door until the ranch opened or something? Whatever poor animal she was buying from Marnie must be-

Shane frowned. Surely not. Surely Marnie wouldn’t…

“No, no, I’m sure the coop you have is fine. You could always go and see Robin for an upgrade if you want him to live in luxury-”

Shane didn’t wait to let Marnie finish her sentence. He ripped open the door of the coop and marched through to the front of the ranch, where, as expected, he found Marnie on one side of the desk, _that_ _farmer_ on the other, and a wooden crate filled with straw placed between them. The farmer had her hands resting gently on either side, ready to hoist the crate and its contents – _Charlie_ _–_ upwards and steal them away. She had been smiling happily at Marnie, but at Shane’s entrance it had dropped away and she now looked surprised and a little worried. Shane dropped his hand on top of the crate, prompting a started cluck from inside, and scowled at the women.

“You are not taking him,”

“…O-oh?” The farmer blinked nervously, her eyes sliding to Marnie. She retracted her hands from the crate and brought them up in front of her chest self-consciously, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise there was a… a problem…?”

“What are you talking about, Shane?” Said Marnie incredulously, before looking back to the farmer, “There is no problem, Miss Aurelia. I’m so sorry," Her voice dropped to a whisper as she looked at Shane again, "Have you been drinking already?”

Shane’s face turned even more thunderous. “That’s none of your business, but no, I haven’t. I just can’t _believe_ you would try and sell Charlie. Jesus, Marnie, how low can you get to try and turn a profit? And _you_ ,” he turned on Aurelia, “What, you think all farm animals belong to you just because you’re the town farmer now? Please, you can barely use a watering can.”

Maybe on another day, he would’ve felt a twinge of guilt watching Aurelia swallow and her eyes drop downwards. Yes, she was new to farming. But she really thought she had been doing well to figure it out on her own. Just this morning she had harvested a whole basketful of parsnips. She even had three happy hens of her own already. Perhaps she hadn’t been doing as well as she’d thought.

Maybe on another day, but right now he could only see red. Charlie was practically the only good thing Shane had been able to take care of, and now Marnie and Aurelia had been conniving to steal him away.

“Shane, I’m not-”

“Save it.” He cut Marnie off, instead pulling off the top of the crate and reaching it, grasping the chicken inside and tucking it under his arm, “Give Aurelia her money back. She’s not taking Charlie.”

“No,” Marnie told him witheringly, “She’s not.”

Shane hesitated, confused, and then slowly looked down at the chicken under his arm.

The large brown cockerel that was definitely not Charlie.

The cockerel clucked quietly and snapped at the uneven drawstrings strings on Shane’s jacket. He watched it, feeling the dreadful sensation of all his anger leaving him, only to be replaced by a concoction of embarrassment and self-loathing.

“Aurelia has been thinking of incubating her hens’ eggs,” Marnie explained quietly, “She needs a rooster, so I thought she could borrow Kentucky to see how she gets on. Charlie’s in the front paddock with the lambs – he seemed antsy, so I let him out for some fresh air. He’s not going anywhere,”

Aurelia said nothing, but Shane didn’t miss how she was anxiously twisting her fingers together, still not meeting his eyes.

He felt like scum.

He dropped Kentucky back into his crate, muttered something unintelligible to the two women before turning and escaping back into his room. The hoodie and jeans once again found refuge on the floor as he crawled back under the covers, not wanting to face the outside world again for a while. He could hear the muffled voice of Marnie apologising profusely for him, with pauses every so often when he could only assume Aurelia was speaking, her voice too soft to infiltrate his room. He groaned and yanked on his own hair. Of course Marnie wouldn’t sell Charlie. And even if she did, Aurelia couldn’t have known. She didn’t deserve to be insulted. Neither of them did. And yet that’s what he had done. Yet again.

His hand crept out to grab his phone from the nightstand. He squinted at the time – 9:27 – before sighing and dialling the number for Jojamart to call in sick. He was not going back outside today. 

* * *

Aurelia placed the crate on the ground, removed the lid, and gently tipped it upwards until Kentucky came stumbling out ungracefully. She giggled, watching him get his bearings before he spotted her hens and sauntered towards them. She tucked the crate to the side of the coop and made a mental note to take it back to Marnie’s later. Maybe tomorrow, when Shane would be at work.

Her heartbeat had only just come back to resting rate, but the thought of bumping into him again sent it straight back up. She didn’t know _why_ he was so against her – she had asked Marnie if she had done something wrong, but she had assured her that she had nothing to apologise for. Shane was just…

Grumpy. That was the word she had used. But Aurelia couldn’t help but think there was a little bit more. Another piece to it. And whatever his aversion to her, she was sure she could make it right. After all, everyone in Pelican Town had been at least a little sceptical of her after she’d moved in, and she’d won them over eventually. She could straighten this out, too.

She was sure of it.


End file.
